scottb Posted June 13, 2003 Report Posted June 13, 2003 My favorite playing of all the Curtis Fuller I have is on BLUE TRAIN. Does it get any better than this or this considered his best playing? What's your favorite Fuller outing? Quote
connoisseur series500 Posted June 13, 2003 Report Posted June 13, 2003 I can't single one out offhand, but I do remember liking his solos on Art Blakey, "Caravan." Quote
Claude Posted June 13, 2003 Report Posted June 13, 2003 One of my Curtis Fuller favourites is the Blue Note album Volume 3. I passed on the Mosaic set, but recently got this album in the "spanish TOCJ" series. Bluesette is another classic. Quote
brownie Posted June 13, 2003 Report Posted June 13, 2003 Fuller is great on 'Blue Train'. His very first album 'New Trombone' on Prestige (with Sonny Red, Hank Jones, Doug Watkins and Louis Hayes) was also a very impressive opener. The Curtis Fuller Mosaic box is unfortunately not available any more. It had many great sessions. Quote
kenny weir Posted June 13, 2003 Report Posted June 13, 2003 Haven't heard Fuller's own BN stuff, and of the albums I do have Bluesette is the best. He also rock on Art Blakey's 1961 album with Impulse! Quote
EKE BBB Posted June 13, 2003 Report Posted June 13, 2003 (edited) A few gems (IMO) featuring Fuller: Blue train Coltrane, John Blue note 1957 Sonny´s crib Clark, Sonny Blue note 1957 The amazing Bud Powell Vol.3 Bud! Powell, Bud Blue Note 1957 Strike up the band Jones, Quincy Verve 1961 (61-64) The best of the Blue Note years Henderson, Joe Blue note 1963 (63-85) Tom Cat Morgan, Lee Blue Note 1964 Edited June 13, 2003 by EKE BBB Quote
vibes Posted June 13, 2003 Report Posted June 13, 2003 I recommend the Curtis Fuller Mosaic, if you have the means. "Bone & Bari" is probably my favorite session in the box. My favorite Curtis Fuller playing is probably on "Blue Train," however. I think everyone on that album was having a great day. Quote
White Lightning Posted June 13, 2003 Report Posted June 13, 2003 (edited) My favorite Fullers are Bone n Bari and Bluesette 1 &2 Don't forget the Jazztet stuff. It's great as well. I especially like Meet the Jazztet, a 1960 session with McCoy Tyner. A must-have. Edited June 13, 2003 by White Lightning Quote
Sundog Posted June 13, 2003 Report Posted June 13, 2003 "Curtis Fuller and Hampton Hawes With French Horns" is nice laid back swinging album. I would characterize the sound as "west coast". I mean that in the best possible way. Enjoy this one a lot. Personnel include Sahib Shihab on alto which is always a treat. Quote
riverrat Posted June 13, 2003 Report Posted June 13, 2003 "Soul Trombone" is worth looking for, available as a Japanese import. Quote
John Tapscott Posted June 13, 2003 Report Posted June 13, 2003 My favortie Fuller is a BeeHive LP from '78 - Fire and Filigree. It's probably never been out on CD, but definitely worth picking up if you ever see it in a second-hand store. Curtis sounds very good on this - he was just coming off his gig with Count Basie when this was recorded. And the rest of the band really lights it up, too. Sal Nistico, Walter Bishop Jr., Sam Jones, and Freddie Waits. Quote
Brad Posted June 13, 2003 Report Posted June 13, 2003 (edited) Try Curtis Fuller Jazztet with Benny Golson. A real gem. I'd also recommend Mosaic and Ugetsu from Art Blakey. They're outstanding albums. Edited June 13, 2003 by Brad Quote
davidmanson Posted June 13, 2003 Report Posted June 13, 2003 I really like Gettin' It Together. I have the original release on lp. Collectables has reissued it on CD. I haven't seen that. Nice tunes and Curtis plays wonderfully on If I Were A Bell and But Beautiful especially. 1. CHANTIZED 2. FLUTIE 3. IF I WERE A BELL 4. BUT BEAUTIFUL 5. DO I LOVE YOU 6. THE COURT 7. MR.L CURTIS FULLER (tbn) FREDDIE HUBBARD (tpt) YUSEF LATEEF (ts & flute) WALTER BISHOP (piano) BUDDY CATLETT (drums) STU MARTIN (bass) Quote
DrJ Posted June 13, 2003 Report Posted June 13, 2003 The Fuller Mosaic (meaning any of his own BN dates) is desert island material for me - all the sessions are great, though THE OPENER (w/Mobley) and VOLUME 3 (w/Art Farmer, and probably my favorite Fuller overall) are the best. Like Hank Mobley and Sonny Clark, Fuller at his best just exuded a sort of cool, unfussy, and earnest hipness in his music around this time. All the Savoys are worth having - I'm a big fan of Yusef Lateef, so the one with him on it (I always get the names of these sessions mixed up) is my favorite there. Don't overlook some of his more obscure (in the U.S.) dates as a leader for Epic and Impulse!, they have all lately been reissued on either CD or vinyl and show up in hipper used/new stores. SOUL TROMBONE (Impulse!) is particularly strong if you want to sample just one. Finally, as far as "sideman" appearances, there are no greater ones than his dates with Blakey's Messengers, particularly FREE FOR ALL and INDESTRUCTIBLE! (BN). People who haven't heard the latter date yet because of its unjustly obscure reissue status are going to be blown away when the upcoming RVG hits the streets. Not only is Fuller a monster as a soloist, but his compositions (as on his own BNs) will stick in your head for days. Quote
scottb Posted June 14, 2003 Author Report Posted June 14, 2003 I have many of the titles suggested and like his playing on those too but BLUE TRAIN is a cut above. I'm just making sure I'm not missing a Curtis gem that I don't know about. The Bluesette discs sound more like a Golson record to me and Golson is not my favorite. He is certainly a good player I just don't like the overall "vibe" of his tunes. I am looking forward to INDESTRUCTABLE and have been eyeing the Jazztet recordings for a while but haven't pulled the trigger mailnly because of Golson and thought it would be more like Bluesette. Am I right? The Mosaic is another story. I'm still avoiding the full Mosaics although they got me on the Selects. The Fuller was maybe the hardest for me to avoid of all of them. If I win the lottery I'm in, but until then I just can't afford to start collecting Mosaics especially with so many gems OOP. I keep hoping to see some of the Mosaic Fuller titles maybe as Conns or RVGs now that the Mosaic is OOP. Quote
montg Posted June 14, 2003 Report Posted June 14, 2003 In addition to everything else that's been mentioned, I really like his playing as a sideman on Blue Mitchell's Blue SOul. I'm listening to it right now--reminds me I better snap up Blue's Mosaic before too long. It should be nearing Running Low status fairly soon I would guess. Quote
scottb Posted June 14, 2003 Author Report Posted June 14, 2003 I was actualy listening to BLUE SOUL when I thought of asking this question. How is THE BIG SIX?? Quote
BERIGAN Posted June 14, 2003 Report Posted June 14, 2003 That Mosaic set was only 48 bucks when it was in print, and it is quite nice... also, Imagination is very good, a little better than Blues-ette, IMO, love the song Kachin'...I found it used at a wherehouse music for $2.99! Wish I got lucky like that more often! Quote
Saint Vitus Posted June 14, 2003 Report Posted June 14, 2003 Curtis Fuller played on Benny Golson's New Jazz (Prestige) sessions just before the formation of The Jazztet. Groovin' With Golson is my favorite. Quote
vibes Posted June 14, 2003 Report Posted June 14, 2003 Saint Vitus, that's a cool picture you posted. Thanks for that. Quote
Brad Posted June 14, 2003 Report Posted June 14, 2003 Scott, Anything that Blue recorded for Riverside is top notch. Blue Six fits right in with this. Since we've detoured into Blue for a second, I'd like to plug one of my favorite cds: Junior's Cookin' on Jazzland, with Blue. It's really a co-led session and it's really top quality hardbop. If you love Blue or Junior, this is a must. Junior didn't have that many led sessions but they're all really good. I also recommend the last one he did for Steeplechase, You Leave Me Breathless. Although he would die soon afterwards, you can't tell it from this session. Another recommended disc Any Junior fans out there? Quote
brownie Posted June 15, 2003 Report Posted June 15, 2003 Also don't overlook Curtis Fuller post-60s contributions. He blew great trombone with the Timeless All Stars (with Haorld Land, Bobby Hutcherson and others) and on the now hard-to-find Beehive LP 'Fire and Filigree' amongother albums. Quote
paul secor Posted June 15, 2003 Report Posted June 15, 2003 One of my favorite Curtis Fuller records is Two Bones - originally issued by King Records in Japan in 1980. I assume it was also part of the Mosaic box, though I don't have that. Fine lineup (Fuller, Slide Hampton, Sonny Clark, George Tucker, Al Harewood), tunes, and playing. Blue Note should reissue it. Quote
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